Kathie Lee Gifford Returns to Carnival — and She's Bringing Wine

Yahoo Travel
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Kathie Lee Gifford knows wine. And her new wine collection is now being featured on Carnival cruises. (Photo: Carnival)

Many people who were around in the 1980s still can’t step aboard a cruise ship without hearing Kathie Lee Gifford singing “If They Could See You Now.”

Now, Gifford is making a triumphant return to Carnival — and she’s bringing wine. Gifford, whose love of vino is familiar to anyone who watches her co-host the 10 a.m. hour of NBC’s “Today” show, is partnering with the cruise line to feature her new wine.

“This combines two of my great loves: wine and cruising,” Gifford tells Yahoo Travel about her new project. Gifford’s new wine collection, GIFFT, is now available on all 24 ships in Carnival’s fleet. Gifford boarded the Carnival Breeze this week to officially introduce GIFFT, to the surprise of guests.

“I hadn’t been on a Carnival cruise in years,"Gifford says (hosting a popular morning show apparently doesn’t leave much time for oceanside lounging), so returning to Carnival was an experience she described as "emotional.”

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Kathie Lee Gifford boarded a Carnival ship to unveil her wine. (Photo: Carnival)

“Carnival has been a part of my life for more than 30 years,” she says. “Before Regis [Philbin, her former morning show co-host], before Frank [Gifford, her ex-football player/sportscaster husband], before my kids."

But what’s been in Kathie Lee’s life longer than Carnival is wine. It all goes back to dinners with her parents, who she says instilled in her an unofficial family motto: “We don’t drink wine, we sip it.”

Gifford launched GIFFT last April in a partnership with Scheid Vineyards, of Monterey, California. “I wasn’t interested in having a ‘celebrity wine,’” she says. Indeed, this is no mere vanity project. Gifford’s actively involved, and it’s paying off. GIFFT has been a hit with wine drinkers: the GIFFT Chardonnay scored an 88 out of 100 rating in Wine Enthusiast magazine. The red blend scored a 91.

Related: The Cruiser: What I Love/Hate About Taking Cruises

And when it came time to look for a promotional platform for her new wine, turning to Carnival just made sense. Even though Gifford no longer does commercials for them, she’s maintained contact with Carnival executives over the years.

So you’ll be able to enjoy Kathie Lee’s new wine on your next Carnival cruise: when you board, during dinner, during a night at the bar.

But what about poolside? You ever notice that you see people drinking fruity cocktails or beer by the pool but hardly ever wine? "Why not?” Gifford muses, noting that she’s not a cocktail person herself. Making wine standard poolside fare could be Gifford’s next cruise-related project. She can even sing in the commercials!

WATCH: Kathie Lee in Carnival Cruise Lines Commercial

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